Mine-car wheel and axle.



F. H. GIBBS.

MINE CAR WHEEL AND AXLE. APPLICATION FILED nov. 22. I916.

Patented Feb. 12219181 2 SHEETS-SHEET i F. H. GIBBS.

MINE CAR WHEEL AND AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. I916. LQMAMO Patentafifleb. 12,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- 0 Ava/171111011014 E 50 il-5. i F" & m- 9- 1 1 awwfi .20 L \n I 15 Z5 --60 5 ment with the opening adapted to be closed by the plug 18, it is evident that the bearing rollers 22 may be inserted within the hub while the wheel is in position upon its axle or before the wheel is so positioned.

To assist inretaining the rollers 22 in position when the wheel is removed from the axle, a compressible annulus 23 is provided "which, as shown in l ig. 7, is of spring metal and is adapted to be compressed into a smaller diameter. The annulus 23 extends outwardly so as to project into the path of travel of the rollers when they are being projected through the outer faceof the hub into said hub, and to remove said annulus from. said path all that is necessary is to force the wedge-shaped end portion 22501 the roller into contact with said annulus 23,

whereupon the diameter of the annulus will be reduced the rollers may pass,one at a time, through the opening from which the plug 18 shall have been removed. Said opening is's'ho'wn in igs. 3 and 3*" as occupied by a roller 22, is to be noted that the opening A is eccentrically disposed with relation to the axle opening of the hub, and preferably the center oil the opening A is in alineroent with the channels B, B which receivethe conical end portions oi. the rollers 22,

An adyantage in forming the flanges 16 and 17 integrally with the hub is that they may be finished in one operation. when a properly formed core is used when casting a wheel and there is no possibility of the flanges being improperly disposed with relaticn to the conical end portions of the rollers so as to produce undue binding of the within. the hub, or undue looseness adjustment of parts, which alwa s possible where the supporting flanges tor the rollers are formed separately from the hub. W hen is desired remove the rollers from the wheel, wheel is preferably removed the axle and rotatedso that the plug 18 i the lower side,"whereupon sald plug may no removed, and a slight pressure upon the inner ends of the rollers 22, one at a time, will project said rollers through the opening A so that'they may be removedfrom the wheel hub.

Various t pes of lubricant are employed with roller caring mine car wheels, but to permit the use of fluid-lubricant, where desired, I prefer to employ within the outer end of the axle 15, a lubricant pocket 30 which pocket serves as a reinforce for the outer end portion of the axle and to provide maximum storing capacity for lubricant as well as-to strengthen that portion of the axle subjected to the greatest stresses, said tubular lubricant pocket preferably extends, asshown in Fig. 1, within the zone of the journal box 31, The fluid lubricant may be nasaasa permitted to flow through the open end portion 32 of the axle, if desired, or lubricant ducts 33 may be provided through the shell represented as formed from a commercial rivet which may be of hardened steel and polished, if desired.

The journal box 31 is of the conventiona ing 32,- as shown in Fig. 8, said plug being type in its general arrangement and the gene eral features'of construction of these boxes are common in the art, but I have added attaching flanges 40 and ,41, to the-latter of which ispreferably permanently attached a gravity latch 42 which is adapted to cooper ate with a flange portion 43 of said journal box and with the annular flange 44: formed on the inner end of the hub 13 of the wheel, said, latch comprising a U-shaped bottom portion 45 having a vertical wall 46 which lies within the flange 43 of the journal box and a vertical flange 47 which lies outside i of the annula r flange 44 of the wheel hub and between said flange and the spokes 12 of the wheel when the parts are assembled,

as shown in Fig; 1. To secure said tion, it is prefer ly connected with-said flange ii of the journal box by a through bolt 50, upon which said latch may swing downwardly by gravity to release the when when desired, but in its normal elevated position said latch 42 is locked by means'of a cotter pin 51 passing through the extension 52 of said latchamd the flange 40 of the journal box. It is obvious that'when the ravity latchAZ in posilatch is in its elevated position the wheel is locked in position uponthe axle and in fixed relation to the journal box,.but to provent excessive wear between the inner end of the hub of the wheeland the outer face of the posed.

1 It is obvious that while the invention is shown applied to a mine car wheel and journal box assembl which is attached to a truck or car b0 y indicated generally by the reference character C, that said wheel may be employed in other relations and for other purposes without departing from the journal box, smasher, as 55, is inter-' spirit of the invention, als set forth in the following claims.

end portions in said chaimeis a flange of one or" said channels being interinitted to permit insertion of said rollers into said hub, roller-retaining means held in proximity to the break in said flange and means docking said Wheel-on said axle with an end wardly beyond said bearing portion, a tubular reinforce within the outer end portion of said axle, a roller bearing Wheel Wholly inclosing the end portion of said axle and cylindrical bearing rollers in said Wheel normally in vertical alinement with said tubular reinforce.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK H. GIBBS.

@eg'fien of one patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

w Washington, 1), 0, 

